EJ Dionne: America’s elites have a duty to the rest of us

[alp227]

The American ruling class is failing us — and itself.

At other moments in our history, the informal networks of the wealthy and powerful who often wield at least as much influence as our elected politicians accepted that their good fortune imposed an obligation: to reform and thus preserve the system that allowed them to do so well. They advocated social decency out of self-interest (reasonably fair societies are more stable) but also from an old-fashioned sense of civic duty. “Noblesse oblige” sounds bad until it doesn’t exist anymore.

An enlightened ruling class understands that it can get richer and its riches will be more secure if prosperity is broadly shared, if government is investing in productive projects that lift the whole society and if social mobility allows some circulation of the elites. A ruling class closed to new talent doesn’t remain a ruling class for long.

But a funny thing happened to the American ruling class: It stopped being concerned with the health of society as a whole and became almost entirely obsessed with money.

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/americas_elites_have_a_duty_to_the_rest_of_us/2011/04/16/AF5KN8vD_story.html

[SDuderstadt]

1. Excellent!

I really love Dionne, Krugman and Reich.

[notadmblnd]

2. And when society becomes sick enough, the elites better watch out.

[P. Galore]

3. Ain't that the truth!

ER: You can say that again.
FDR: Okay, I will! Ain't that the truth!

[calimary]

4. Time to bring back Noblesse Oblige. Much blessed, much obligated.

It's your patriotic duty to help your country in a time of great need. You're not being asked to leave home and put on a uniform and gun and run off to some God-forsaken place far from your country club to start getting your hands dirty. You're being asked to pitch in more because you HAVE more and can AFFORD to pitch in more. How much would you grouse and whine, REALLY, when your country club raises its dues? If you want to belong and partake of all its prestige and its goodies and its amenities, you cough it up. SAME THING HERE.

It's another version of "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

[OHdem10]

5. Jeff Faux, Economic Policy Institute, has written an excellent

book called THE GLOBAL CLASS WAR "How America's
Bi-Partisan Elites lost our futures an what it
will take to win it back". He includes Elites
from Canada, Mexico and America.

Epi.org has lots of good articles.